The Sixth Sense
by spicygurl
Summary: There was something different about me, I knew it. I was off. You could compare me to other boys or my brothers if you wanted to, then you could see it yourself.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, I'm baaaack. :) This was a story that I started 2 days ago. It wasn't meant to go anywhere but I liked it and decided to share with you guys. It probably won't get past this chapter but I would like it to. Please tell me what you think. Enjoy.**

**I do not own The Outsiders.**

There was something different about me, I knew it. I was off. You could compare me to other boys or my brothers if you wanted to, then you could see it yourself. Sodapop messed around with girls, I preferred to be by myself. Steve worshiped cars, I stayed home and read books with cars in them. Johnny wondered about what would happen in the future, I knew.

I know it sounds weird and damn near impossible but I can see into the future. Not like the average freak in some horror film or an over-paid palm reader at the county fair either. I saw things at random times: when I'm in the shower, when I'm asleep, when I'm eating breakfast, anywhere.

Now I'll admit that it isn't always that bad, for instance, when I'm taking a test and I get a vision of the questions I missed with the correct answers circled. Or when the gang is playing football and I know who's gonna go for a tackle and when. Yeah, then I don't mind it. I do however mind when it comes in the form of a nightmare.

You're probably wondering if I knew when my parents were going to have that accident. In all honesty, I did. It came to me the night before it happened but that was before I understood what was happening to me; when everything I saw was just a simple déjà vu .

"Hey Pony," Soda greeted kicking off his shoes. I hadn't seen him come in, in any sense. My visions only come to me sometimes and they allow me to see parts of the future, not all. "How was your day?"

"Real good, Soda. I got another perfect score on my quiz. Mr. Syme is thinking of putting me in an advanced class."

"Advanced? You're already in an advanced class, how more advanced can you get?"

I shrugged not knowing the answer myself. Maybe some kind of college level English class? If that was the case, Darry would be really proud of me and I love it when he's proud. He isn't too happy with me very often.

"I don't know how ya do it, Pone. You should let me in on your secret. You got some special brain juice?" That was another thing, no one knew about my sixth-sense, not Soda, not Darry or Johnny, no one.

"Nah, just gotta study, Soda. Keep your nose in those books."

Soda sprawled onto the mattress looking exhausted. I knew school wasn't his strong suit, he'd much rather be free to roam. Darry and I were surprised when he brought back a C in English last semester so we know he can do it, he just doesn't always feel like trying.

"Studyin' is so boring though, man. I mean, those words are so tiny. Who's gonna read all that?"

"You don't have to read _all _of it, just what you don't know or understand."

"Yeah," Soda said sarcastically. "That's all of it."

"There's gotta be something you get. What about math? Math is easy enough."

"It _was _easy until they kept adding extra steps. I can do my times tables and some division, I get why I'd need to know stuff like that for the future but when will I ever need to know _quadratic formula _or _Pythagorean Theorem_? I swear, they're making school hard just for me." He sat up and looked at me seriously. "I know its not gonna be too pretty but how do you think Darry would take it if I just ... stopped going?"

"Like ... skipping? Oh Soda, he won't take it good at all, trust me on that one."

"No, I mean, what if I stopped going and never went back? What if I dropped out of school?"

**xXx**

"He wants to drop out?" Johnny asked me in the park later that evening. "So what did you tell him?"

"Well if he doesn't wanna be there what's the point of making him suffer? I just told him to talk to Darry about it before he went and jumped right into it." We sat quietly together, enjoying the half-night sky. It really was beautiful the way the sun was down but still lit part of the sky and the stars filled up the rest.

_"Where the hell have you been, kid?" Johnny's dad roared as he walked into his house. Johnny stayed quiet, looking down at his feet to avoid eye contact with what had to be the most evil human being on Earth. _

_"You answer me, boy. Where the hell have you been?" Still nothing from my best friend, he was either very wise or very insane. His dad pulled back his fist high in the air and Johnny ducked his head in his jeans jacket._

Another one of those visions.

"Johnny, come stay at my place tonight, alright?" I asked, not leaving much room for argument. He looked away from the now fully nighttime sky and studied my face before nodding and hopping off the jungle gym we were perched on top of. This wasn't the first time I have saved him from a drunken beating at home. Since I had discovered my ability to see into the future I'd been doing my best to keep everyone safe from harm and I was doing a pretty good job at it too.

We walked down the street towards my house each lost in our thoughts. "Hey Pony," Johnny asked. I waited for him to continue and eventually he did. "You seem different ..."

"Different how?"

"You just seem ... out of it a whole lot more. Is Darry buggin' you again?"

"Nah, nothin' like that, Johnnycake. Things just change."

"Well come on man, you know you can tell me 'bout it. I ain't gonna tell no one. What changed?"

By this time we were outside the gate of my house. I figured now was as good a time as any to tell my best friend. Hell, maybe if things went well and he could handle the news, I might tell Soda too. I looked around, trying to scope out any eavesdroppers. Deciding it was safe enough, I pulled Johnny in real close.

"I can see things. I see things ... before they happen."

Johnny's eyebrows furrowed, confusion. "Like, the future?"

"Yes," I said cautiously. I waited for him to say something else. Say he didn't believe me, say he didn't understand, anything really. But instead he looked down and thought about it for a bit before nodding. He accepted me.

"So," he asked awkwardly. "Did you see anything today?"

I nodded. "Yeah, at the park. It was your dad, he's drunk again tonight. It's why I invited you over."

Johnny frowned, he loved his parents for more than they were worth but when they got drunk, he couldn't help but feel disappointed in them. Like a parent would if their child had made a poor choice at school.

"He was gonna hit me?" It wasn't really a question, he knew what would happen if his dad was soused. I left the question to float away but then Johnny chuckled unhappily then said, "That bad, huh? Well thanks for saving me this time, man."

"No problem, Cade."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews guys, you made this chapter possible. :)**

"Pony," Darry called from the kitchen as me and my best friend entered the house. "Dinner's almost ready. Go get Soda." Sometimes I wondered how Darry knew it was me coming in the house. He never seemed to have the need to check and he was always correct. I don't know, maybe he could smell me. Maybe he was psychic too. Or maybe it was just because I didn't slam the door.

I motioned Johnny towards the couch and made my way down the small hall our house had to offer. Since our bedroom door was closed, I stood outside debating whether or not to knock. I mean, it was after all my room too and it wasn't like I hadn't seen it all so I let myself in.

"Soda, Darry says," but that's as far as I got before Steve's dark eyes pushed me back into the hall.

"Don't you ever knock, kid?"

"Knock for what? Last time I checked, this was my room and that was my bed." I don't understand what he was so upset about. Him and Soda weren't doing much but talking. But then again, now that I think about it, they don't really ever have many private conversations so this was probably very important.

Steve turned to Soda, who was clearly not in the mood for either of our attitudes. "The kid's got a mouth. I oughta —" That's as far as he got before Soda's gaze stopped him. The fastest way to get my brother angry, which wasn't a very easy thing to do in the first place, is to insult his family.

"Anyway," I said, waving Steve off. "Darry says dinner's almost ready."

Soda smiled then told me he would be out in a minute. I turned quickly and left. As much as I liked to push Steve's buttons, I didn't have the heart to force my brother in between us. I do it enough with Darry and he can barely handle that.

On my way to the kitchen I noticed Johnny was still sitting awkwardly on the couch. He wasn't one to bother people by asking them constantly for food and a place to stay which is why he's usually half frozen in the lot or half dead at his house. I motioned him into the kitchen with me and he followed obediently.

"Oh, hey there Johnny," Darry greeted upon seeing him enter. "Do you want something to eat? Let me fix you a plate."

Johnny ducked inside his jacket, just like he did in my vision, and nodded. He wasn't gonna say anything especially not to my oldest brother. In all honesty, I think Johnny was afraid of him. Everyone's afraid of Darry ... 'cept girls. Girls like mess around with danger (heaven knows why).

"Never fixed me a plate," I mumbled under my breath. This got a smirk out of Johnny. He thought the mouth I had on me was funny.

We took a seat and, shortly after, Soda and Steve joined us. It was silent except for the sound of forks scratching the bottom of plates and cups being replaced firmly on the table. However, the silence that surrounded us wasn't awkward in the least. We were eating and this was a task the required all focus.

Since Darry cooked, it was mine and Soda's turn to do dishes. Normally I didn't mind doing them as long as it was Soda doing them with me — most of the time it was. But when you add Steve hopped up on the counter, trying repeatedly to convince him that I was big enough to handle a couple plates on my own, then I get annoyed.

I wanted him to shut up and get out of the kitchen so bad that I could see myself filling a soapy cup with water and splashing it all over him. The urge to go through with it was so bad that I was confused as to whether that was my imagination running with me or a look into the future. I sure hoped it was the latter ...

**xXx**

The four of us sat in the living room content with the amount of food sitting in our stomachs. Looking at how late it was, it was obvious that Steve would be staying over tonight as well. This proved to be problematic since we only had one couch. Johnny deserved the couch, hands down but Steve did need it more. Deciding that it was too late to be sitting around, I invited Johnny to my room. He would be sleeping on my floor with some blankets. At least we had carpeting.

I tossed one of Soda's old shirts at Johnny to slip into then began undressing myself.

"Do you need anymore blankets? I can go grab some if you do." As expected, Johnny declined. I crawled onto my side of the bed.

"Ponyboy," Johnny asked after a while. "How do they work?"

I knew immediately what he was talking about. "I dunno John, they just happen. It's kinda like ... watchin' a movie. It's like I'm just sitting there watching everything happen, only they only last a couple minutes." Johnny nodded. "Sometimes I get them when I'm asleep too."

"Oh, I was just wonderin' is all."

"It's fine," then as an after thought, I added. "You know, you're the first one that I told about it. I've been having this for a while now and no one knew until today."

Johnny let this sink in, "I'm glad you told me. I'll keep it a secret."

**xXx**

_It was Soda's eighteenth birthday, the one he had been looking forward to the most. He was an adult now, no longer in danger of being shipped off to a boys' home. So why wasn't anyone celebrating? Why did everyone have such long faces?_

_Then Darry appeared, shaking from head to toe, reading a letter aloud to the rest of the gang. _

_"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, you are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States ... " That's all he had to read, Soda was being drafted, simple as that. Everyone was silent, we knew war was dangerous but we didn't know first-hand. Finally, out of frustration, Darry slammed the letter down on the table. "Damn it, if you stayed in school this wouldn't even be a problem!"_

_Soda sniffled wiping his tears. It was too late for any of that now. His report day was in a month or so._

_"They don't care about our side of town! What's one hood off their backs, huh? They get kicks off sending us to places we can't afford to get out of! That's one more hood off the streets then, huh?" Darry wasn't mad at Soda, no one could be mad at him. He hated that the world kept trying to pull our family apart and if that meant some of us would die then so be it._

_..._

_I was hysterical, maybe even beyond that. Nothing could bring me to accept the fact that the letter I was reading had come so soon. It seemed as if Soda was sent off yesterday and now we were reading how he had died a war hero. I couldn't take that and neither could Darry. He was crying just as hard as I was. _

_I knew the rest of the gang was just as messed up as we were. If anyone of us should have been dead, it wasn't Soda. Not my brother. I think of all of them Steve was taking it the worst and I couldn't blame him. He'd lost his best friend, the only one that cared for him so deeply. Sure, the rest of us worried about him but no one can love you like a best friend could. What if I ever lost Johnny? I don't think I would ever get over that._

_The more time that past, the louder my screams were. I wanted my brother back, I needed him here to console me but I knew he wasn't coming back. Ever._

"Ponyboy, wake up!" Someone begged. My eyes flashed open immediately revealing the tired and worried eyes of Soda. As soon as I saw him, I grabbed hold of him and pulled him in real close. He didn't resist, just pulled me in and comforted me. "That bad, huh?" I never let anyone touch me after a nightmare but here I was instigating it.

After taking a moment to calm down, I looked around the room. Everyone was here. Darry stood on the other side of Soda, Johnny sat rubbing his eyes, blankets hanging loosely on his body, even Steve stood propped against the door frame.

"Y'all can go back to sleep. Sorry I woke ya up, I didn't mean it." Steve quickly left, grumbling on his way back to the couch, Darry following shortly after. Soda turned the lights out then wrapped me in his arms again, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Pony," Johnny whispered up to me. I answered back. "Did you see something?"

I waited a minute, debating whether or not this was an appropriate time to tell him. "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

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><p>The next day after school, I headed over to DX just as I did any other day. The only difference this time was I wasn't going to grab a Pepsi and mess around with my older brother. This time, as insane as it sounded, I was going to talk to Steve.<p>

It was a long shot, I had to somehow convince Steve to tell Soda that dropping out of school wasn't good. I knew that if I told Soda myself he would only take what I said into consideration but if his best friend had something to say about it too, he would for sure listen. Soda's like that when you take the two most important people in his life and use them against him.

Saying that Steve wasn't happy to see me was an understatement. The glare he was sending made me anticipate him asking why I hadn't knocked. I may have had a little power yesterday in my house but this was his gas station.

"What do you want? Soda's working the pumps."

I rolled my eyes. "I know, I saw him when I came in. I ain't blind, ya know."

"Then what the hell are you doing in here?" He sneered.

"Look," I said, trying my hardest to sound calmer than I was. "I need your help, okay?"

"You need _my _help? What on earth gives you the idea that I would want to help you do anything? Especially after you woke me up at 3 in the morning for nothing."

"It's about Soda," that caught his attention. "He wants to drop out of school but we can't let him do that-"

"And why the hell not?"

"Something bad is going to happen if we let him go on with this idea of leaving school. Something awful and you have to trust me on this."

Steve mulled this idea over. He knew I was serious; I wouldn't just go around nagging him to talk to my brother for me if it wasn't. "How do you know that?"

No, no, no, don't be stubborn Steve, just let it go. Do what I ask you this _one _time. "I just know."

He was getting angry again. This wasn't good, not at all. "Get out of here, kid. You may be Soda's kid brother but I'm not against beating the tar outta you." I stood staring at him. I'd lost him in my equation. "Can't you hear either? I said get out of my shop."

My legs turned on their own accord, leading me further from the shop counter and closer to the door. I glanced back one more time, waiting for him to call me back and say he was just messing with me but I knew that wouldn't happen.

**xXx**

My new plan was perfect, it was fool-proof. It came to me as I was walking home: if Steve didn't want to hear it, he had to see it and what better way to show him than to draw it myself.

I busted through the door and tossed my bag on the couch barely missing Dally's head. There was no time to waste, I had a sketch-pad and some art pencils that I never used unless I was assigned some kind of project or if something caught my eye. Dad bought this set for my birthday one year and it was one of the many things I had left to remember him by. I didn't want to use it on anything I found less than important.

There was lots of stuff in it: sunsets, stars, a couple horses but I needed a blank page.

I'd definitely underestimated the difficulty in drawing a picture of my brother dead. The toughest thing without a doubt was drawing his eyes, those lively, chocolate pieces, rolled up in his head. I'd almost lost my lunch at that point. The nightmare in which everything seemed real was hard enough but putting it down on paper was like a step into reality. The truth hit me: if I didn't get Steve on board, Soda would be gone forever.

The door burst open and slammed against the wall. "There ya are, kid. Where did you go? I waited for you in the parking lot forever." Two-Bit asked.

"Forever? Two-Bit, you can barely wait 10 minutes."

"I can wait twenty when Darry's kid brother is on the line and I'm responsible for him." Yeah, that all was true. Darry would have killed him if something happened to me whether it was his fault or not. "Seriously though, you couldn't have told me you were gonna walk?"

"Sorry, Two-Bit, I forgot."

"Yeah, yeah, go make me something to eat. I'm hungry."

Quickly, I detached the sheet of paper and folded it in my pocket. "Lazy bum," I mumbled as Two-Bit ran giddily to the kitchen.

**xXx**

The idea was to show Steve the picture and get him on my side _without _having Soda see it but since they were together in our room again, this proved almost impossible. I had two options. Either I could sit and wait for Soda to kick him out so he could go to bed or wait for Soda to go to the bathroom. I didn't know which one would come first until the door opened and Soda stepped out.

"I'll be right back, buddy," he announced, then upon seeing me staring at him from the couch, waved. "Hey, Pony."

The bathroom door closed and I leaped into action. I didn't have much time. The fire that licked at my patience whenever Steve was around flared when I saw him sprawled across my bed. I have to _sleep _there.

"Did you talk to him about staying in school?" I asked though I knew he hadn't.

"What's it to ya? It ain't none of your business what we were talkin' about."

I reached into my pocket, unfolding the picture I drew a few hours ago. Careful to avoid looking at the artwork, I handed it over to the boy leaking idiot-juice all over my pillow.

Immediately his expression turned pained and his face drained color. That must have been the face I had when I first looked at the final product myself. Steve was gonna take it the hardest of us all. My vision was correct, though I hadn't doubted it.

"What the hell, kid! What happened to those half-assed sunsets you drew?" He threw the picture and it floated to the floor, landing on one of Soda's mountainous heaps of dirty laundry. "Jesus, you are a real nut-job!"

"Listen Randle, that's what's gonna happen in two years if we don't convince Soda to stay in school, got it?" He tried to say something else but I spoke louder. "I don't want my brother dead and I know you don't either. Tell him to stay in school or he will be."

He was quiet for a while staring at the picture on the floor. "Fine kid, I'll help."


	4. Chapter 4

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><p>"Do I look like a girl to you, Two-Bit?" I asked, frustrated. This wasn't the best thing to ask given the argument but it was already past my lips, never to return.<p>

Two-Bit laughed even harder than before, if that was even possible. "Isn't that what I just said? Yes, you look like a girl to me." In all honesty, I couldn't even believe this had come up. He'd accidentally brushed against my arm while sitting down next to me and then commented that my skin was _too _soft to be that of a boy's. That, of course progressed into the fact that I smelled like a girl and now he was saying I looked like one too. Johnny sat next to me taking in the whole battle, his eyes filled with amusement.

The dispute had been going on for a few minutes but it felt like forever. What can I say, arguing with an idiot gets you nowhere.

"Prove you're a boy, Pony_girl_," he finally asked. Prove that I'm a boy? He reached over and popped the button on my jeans and, as soon as I knew his motive, I jumped up and ran. By this point, Johnny was chuckling which was a very rare sound.

I jumped out the door and ran to the corner of the yard. If Two-Bit was as drunk as I knew he was, he wouldn't last too long chasing after me. My theory proved true as he collapsed the moment his boot tasted the grass.

I shook my head disapprovingly, wondering whether or not I should tell him what he's like when he drinks. Who knows, maybe it'll be the push he needs to stop once and for all … or not.

It truly was a lovely evening. Warm air, slight breeze and best of all, the sun was going down. As I was scoping the yard for a place I could sit and enjoy the evening, I noticed the window to mine and Soda's room was open a little. It wasn't right to go snooping on my brother and his friend, but isn't that what little brothers do? Besides, if Steve wasn't gonna talk to him about staying in school, I had every right to know, right?

Before I had the chance to listen to my conscience, I moved over to the window, crouching low to be sure I wouldn't be seen.

"Soda, you've got to stay in school, just for a little while longer. You have 2 more years—"

"For the last time, I can't stay in school."

I heard Steve groan in frustration. Apparently, he was arguing his case for a while and he'd just about had enough of Soda's stubbornness. "Why can't you stay in school? Because your grades are lousy?"

"No," Soda responded softly.

_No? I thought he wanted to leave school because he didn't understand anything. I mean, that's what he told _me_. _

"Is it what Mr. Campbell said the other day? Listen, he doesn't know what he was talking about."

"No, that's not it either, man."

There was a brief silence, save for the soft sound of the bed springs groaning in protest against weight being shifted on it. "Sodapop, we're best friends, I've known you for _years_, and we tell each other everything. Now please tell me why you gotta drop out of school." Soda said something in response to this but I'm not sure what; I couldn't hear him and Steve couldn't either since he asked for clarification.

"I said, Sandy's pregnant, okay?" That was the last thing Steve expected to hear and quite frankly, I wasn't either. "She's pregnant now and I need to money to help her out. I won't have enough cash if I'm only working part-time, ya dig, Steve?"

Steve swore and I thought sarcastically, _great pep-talk, Randle._

That was just about all the eavesdropping I could take in one day. I picked myself up and walked back into the house, making a point of kicking the greaser passed out on the ground at the foot of the steps.

**xXx**

That night in bed I lay turned away from Soda, staring blankly at the now closed window. Johnny wasn't staying over today, I'd told him that it was okay to go home when he asked and he jumped at the opportunity. He loved his parents too much. As far as I knew, Two-Bit was taking over the couch today. When he woke up the next morning with a headache _and _a hangover, he would be entirely grateful for the comfortable place to rest.

Soda shifted on his side of the bed. "Ponyboy, are you awake?"

I waited a moment, "Yeah, I'm up."

"I think … I think I'm gonna marry Sandy ..." That was it. I knew as soon as he said those words that there was no turning back in this. If he was thinking about marrying Sandy, he'd already decided on his school life.

I know it's bad to have favorite family members, but out of everyone, Mom, Dad, and Darry, I loved Sodapop the most. There was no doubt in this. He was the one that listened to everything I said, no matter what it was. If I had a bad day, he was the one I would talk to. He knew everything about me, even things _I _didn't know about me. If he was gone, I would lose myself, no doubt. He was the sticky stuff that kept Darry and I together. If it wasn't for Soda, I would have done some real stupid stuff. I might have run away and nothing good would have come from that.

But it was all over, it was done, he made his decision and in doing so, sealed his fate.

He wasn't going back to high school and in two years, he wasn't going to come back home either.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again for the reviews and feedback. :) All is appreciated.  
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><p>I was up earlier than usual the next morning due to another nightmare of the oncoming events. It wasn't as detailed as the first one, and it didn't scare me bad enough to holler and wake up my brothers, but it wasn't exactly milk and honey either. So here I was now, sitting in the kitchen with the light on, at 6:30 in the morning. Sleep was just about to take over when Darry walked in, the scent of soap and shampoo trailing behind him.<p>

"Whoa there, kiddo," he said, slightly surprised at the sight of me this early. "Sleeping like that isn't gonna do any good for ya. You'll wake up stiff as a board. What are you doing up so early anyhow? It's Saturday, ya know."

"I know what day it is, Darry." I snapped, though my brother didn't really deserve it. I guess it was just the sleep—or lack of it—that was getting to me. The fact that he was so refreshed and ready to start a new day, made me bitter towards him in a sense. Sure, his energy was that to be envious of, but the work-load he had in the next couple hours was _nothing _I wanted to deal with.

He held his hands up in mock surrender, and then turned his back to start up breakfast. "Why don't you go back to bed, you look exhausted." He glanced back at me just in time to see me shake my head 'no'. Darry looked at me extra long, eyes scanning my face, searching for something that probably wasn't there. Unconsciously, I squirmed under his gaze; if there was anything that made me uncomfortable, it was being stared at.

"... What?" I finally asked.

My voice appeared to be unheard to him as he kept his gaze a little longer. Finally, he turned back to his eggs and said, "You look older than me sometimes, I swear." I didn't know what to say to this, so I kept my mouth shut. "The nightmares are getting worse, aren't they?"

"Just a little bit," that was a straight lie.

"Do you wanna sleep on my bed? It might help." Honestly, the idea of "changing my scenery" wasn't a bad one. The room I was currently sleeping in was full of dread and despair, considering all the bad news I ever received was in that room. For example, when my parents died, when my dog ran away and the nightmare I had that foretold promises of the future. The atmosphere in there was tainted.

I nodded, secretly eager to test out this theory.

"You know where it is," and that was it, the permission I needed was granted and I moved sluggishly down the hall.

**xXx**

Darry's room wasn't at all like I remembered it the last time I was in here, which was to be expected, given the last visit I made was before Mom and Dad died. The basic structure was the same: bed against the wall, dresser by the window and nightstand on the left-hand side. What was different was that his room was all but messy. Now, it wasn't spotless, as I noticed several dirty shirts and some unpaired socks on the floor, but it was definitely better than my room.

Darry's bed was also more comfortable than mine and Soda's, that's for sure. The sheets were military-style, done so tight one could bounce a quarter on it, and the mattress, although well aged, was firmer, too. I was very confident that the condition of his mattress was better than my own because his wasn't repeatedly pounced on by Sodapop.

As appealing as my oldest brother's room was to the eye, and as long as I wanted to scope and search his personal abode, my exhaustion begged me to crawl under the crisp sheets.

Sleep found me instantly.

**xXx**

I now see why Darry has so much energy every morning.

The last time I remember getting such a good sleep was years ago, when I was young and innocent and the only thing I had to fear was Brussels sprouts for dinner. But now, now I felt like singing.

When my stomach growled intensely, my priorities switched from picking what song I would hum, to what I was gonna eat. As I passed through the living room, I noticed Two-Bit was sprawled across the couch, eyes barely watching the idiotic mouse that danced across the TV screen.

"Hey, Kid," he greeted me and I nodded back in his direction. My goal was to get after the eggs Darry made earlier, as my stomach was preparing to devour itself. "Oh, I ate your breakfast. It was real good, too. You missed out." His grin was comical as ever and I began to debate whether or not he was truly hung-over. Sometimes he acts drunk when he isn't, same goes for hang ups.

My stomach barked orders, sparing Two-Bit a wrestling match. _Corn Flakes, _I thought desperately. _We've still got Corn Flakes. _Damned be my height as I was just a few inches short of reaching the dreaded box.

"Two-Bit," I called, still bouncing on my toes in a poor attempt to get it myself. "Two-Bit can you get the cereal for me?" He appeared moments later, effortlessly grabbing the box and setting it down at the table. I mumbled my thanks and went to work fixing my breakfast.

"I was thinking that we should go to the movies later. You, me and Johnny, and maybe Dally if he wants," Two-Bit suggested as I ate silently.

"What about Sodapop? He ain't workin' all day." Now Two-Bit just looked uncomfortable. His facial features clearly gave hints that he was hiding something from me, but his mouth knowing better than to tell. Whatever it was most definitely involved Soda, otherwise he would have immediately said Soda could tag along with us if he wanted.

"No …" he admitted slowly. "He's got some stuff to tell Darry …"

Stuff to tell Darry? I'm not idiot. I may be slow to get things at times, and I might lack street smarts, but I know my family better than anyone else. There was absolutely no reason to keep anything Soda and Darry had to talk about from me. Either Soda officially resigned from school or he was about to share the news of his upcoming fatherhood, and I doubt that it's the latter.

But I wasn't going to complicate things with my presence, so I agreed to accompany Two-Bit at the movies.

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><p><strong>Oh, Nanook026: Thanks so much :) I hope you are having a great vacation! I wish I could travel ... haha!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

"Where the hell is Two-Bit?" I grumbled. He was supposed to go home and bring his car so we wouldn't have to walk. It would be getting dark soon and he said he'd rather be safe than sorry. He had two kids to look after and no switchblade to protect us with. Bringing his car was his way of chickening out. If I got hurt, he would have to deal with Soda and Darry. If Johnny got hurt, he'd have to deal with, well, everybody, but mostly Dallas. So, instead of testing his luck, he decided to take the risk out all together, and I couldn't really blame him.

"I dunno, man," Johnny offered, sitting on the curb.

"Well, he better hurry up or I'm gonna walk—"

"_Thank you so much, Sodapop," Sandy cried, embracing Soda and leaking tears onto his shoulder. "You don't know what this means to me."_

"'_Course I do. I mean, I know the money isn't enough to take care of a baby, but it's gonna help. It would have been more, but I still gotta help Darry with the bills and all that." Then quietly, he added. "He's not gonna be happy when he sees I've only brought half my paycheck home."_

_Sandy pulled back now, confused. "Half your paycheck? Fifty dollars is half your paycheck?"_

"_Well, no, Steve helped me out a bit, and I took the money Ponyboy leaves in his pockets. But that doesn't matter; I can pay them back later."_

"_Sandra!" Her mother called from a different room. "Sandra, ten minutes is up! Get that hood out of here!" She looked into Soda's eyes apologetically, then kissed him quick on the lips. Shortly after, with one last glance, he left._

_Sandy trotted down the stairs, happily waving the money in her mother's face. The older woman, easily in her 40s, smiled evilly and pointed at the phone._

"_Call Michael, tell him you got the money." _

_Sandy did as she was told, dialing the number quickly. "Michael, darling, he gave me the money." She paused, listening. "Yes, baby, we can go to Florida now. Our baby will _not _be raised in such an ugly neighborhood." She listened again. "Okay, meet you at the train station in two hours. Bye, honey."_

"—home. Johnny, I gotta go." The urgency in my voice startled Johnny like nothing else. His mouth was agape, set as if he was going to say something, but I didn't have time to hear it. Or maybe I did. It all depends on whether Soda gave her the cash or not and if he did, how long ago?

My legs were aching, my lungs burning, as I ran home as fast as I could. I've really got to lay off the cigarettes; they're cutting into my game. My body begged and pleaded me to stop or at least slow down, but my mind wouldn't allow me to do so. _Just a few more blocks!_ My brain would tell my legs. _Hold in there! Two more houses!_

And before I could process it, I was in the living room, panting and trying to catch my breath.

The looks on my brothers' face were priceless. Clearly, they had been arguing, as they were standing nose to nose, but when they got a load of me half-dead on the floor, their faces contorted into that of confusion with a hint of amusement. Funny.

"Soda … she's … lying …" I panted out, but this only seemed to confuse them more.

"Christ, Pony, was a pack of lions after you or something?" Leave it to Darry to ignore everything I just said.

"No. Soda, Sandy, she's lying. That baby, it's not yours."

Soda arched an eyebrow, "Who told you about that?"

Damn, I forgot he didn't drop that on me yet. Excuse, make an excuse. "You said … you told me you wanted to marry her. People don't get married at 16 unless … ya know. I kinda figured it all out. But anyway, that baby isn't yours."

"What do you mean it isn't mine? I'm the only one that ever …" he glanced at me cautiously. "I was her first, she told me."

Darry, who had remained silent throughout our conversation, finally contributed his thoughts. "You've gotta use your head, Soda. You're sixteen, _sixteen_, you don't know how to take care of a kid."

"I didn't do it on purpose, Darry, but I can't go back and change what happened. The only thing I can do now is help her through this."

"No. No, no, no, no. Listen to me, will you? Do you know a Michael?"

"Well, sure, there's lots of 'em." _Damn._

"Do you know one that hangs out with Sandy?"

He thought about this for a minute, then supplied that he knew her cousin's name was Michael and they were pretty good friends. "Cousin, my ass," I scoffed. There was that priceless look on my brothers' face again. So I cussed, what's the big deal?

"You've given her the money, right?" I asked, changing the unannounced subject.

"Yeah, I did, but how did you know—"

"Darry, we need to go to the train station. Now."

**xXx**

The trip to the station was silent, everyone mulling over their respective concerns. Darry, most likely worried for our safety. If the state found out about this "Soda has a baby" situation, they'd take us both to a boy's home without a second thought.

Soda's got the most on his mind, I can tell. He gets this face when he's thinking really hard about something. I can't blame him though; he's been on a crazy emotional roller coaster for who knows how long. He's only sixteen; he doesn't need all this … this drama. I found myself hating Sandy the closer and closer we got for all this trouble she's caused. Soda has never looked his age before, now he did—maybe older.

My only concern was whether or not we would make it on time or not.

"Hey, Pony," Soda asked, as we approached 32nd Street. Now we were less than five minutes from the station. "How do you know that … I mean, the baby …"

"Trust me on this, Soda. That kid isn't yours, and Michael isn't Sandy's cousin." _And if he is, this situation just got a whole lot more disgusting._

That was as far as his questioning went. The rest of the drive was silent, save for the loud, ear-obstructing whistles that the trains made as they departed and arrived at the station.

It was stupid on my part, I know, but as soon as we got close to the ticket booth, I jumped out. The sounds of my brothers calling my name vaguely caught my attention as I ran towards my destination.

"Train for Florida," I rushed out to the man who was working his shift. He looked panicked, but then again, a hood running up and asking for a train that's leaving the state instead of asking to purchase tickets could mean trouble.

"The earliest one is boarding now; leaves in … eight minutes."

_Eight minutes! Soda better get moving. This could be the last chance he has to save himself._

As I rounded the corner, I saw a familiar head of blonde curls, stacking numerous suitcases into the lower compartment. Sandy. The first thing that came to mind was to hide so she wouldn't see me. For I knew, if she laid eyes on me, she would know Soda was near and would quicken her pace, which was the last thing I needed.

"What the heck is wrong with you, Kid?" Soda asked, skidding to a halt beside me. I pressed my fingers to my lips, hushing him, and then gestured around the corner.

Slowly, he craned his neck, peeking at the girl I had spotted moments before. Then, before I could ask him where he was going, he stepped out onto the creaky, wooden platform and paced towards her.


	7. Chapter 7

**I appreciate your reviews very much, all of them. :)**

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><p>Soda and Sandy were talking for what felt like forever, but I knew it couldn't have been. I wished desperately to hear what they were saying, my eavesdropping senses tingled madly. A true little brother would have been over there by now, eating up every word, but a loving one would respect his brother's privacy. There was nothing left for me to do but twiddle my thumbs and hope to God that Sandy told him the truth.<p>

"Sodapop! Soda wait —" Sandy shrieked followed by a chocked sob. My eyes darted up in time to catch Soda's faded, blue shirt retreat to the car. Quickly, I followed before I could lose him. After all, he knew where Darry parked, I got out before then.

"Ponyboy," Sandy called, tears streaming freely down her dull, pink cheeks. This was strange to me: why on Earth was she crying now? She didn't seem to give a damn about what happened to Soda earlier when she received his money. What changed?

Then again, she didn't break Soda's heart earlier. Her plan was to skip town secretly, never to witness my brother's depression and now she was forced to live with it for the rest of her life. Breaking Soda was no easy task, but once you get there it's impossible to forget.

"Ponyboy, I'm-I'm sorry ... about everything. Tell him .. please."

Unsure of what to say, I nodded then ran after Soda. It was gonna take a long time for him to heal and the last thing I was going to do was let him do this alone.

**xXx**

"Where is he?" I asked, slightly panicked that Soda was nowhere in sight. I'd been absolutely positive that he ran this way, but as I pulled the door open, Darry's was the only body exposed.

"Quiet, Pony, he's in the bed," a quick glance back confirmed this. He was laying on his back, observing the stars or at least it looked like he was. Darry tapped on the glass, trying for Soda's attention. "Hang on, Pepsi-Cola. We're leaving."

The trip home was the equivalent of putting the TV on mute, turning off the radio, and kicking the gang out of the house. And I thought the trip to the station was silent. At least that ride had been mildly comfortable with Soda there. Now he was in the back and that left only Darry and I, which inevitably called for awkwardness.

"Hey," Darry asked breaking the silence. "What happened back there?"

I sighed, what had happened? I mean, besides the obvious. Clearly she told Soda the truth, but what else was she lying about? Surely there was more than this fable: you can't hide something this big without others, can you?

"Ponyboy?" Darry pushed.

"It wasn't his, baby." We shared a glance, albeit quick considering one of us was driving, then more silence engulfed us. It seemed to be another few miles before he finally spoke up again.

"Well, I'm glad he found out. He could have spent his whole life not knowing."

He says 'rest of his life' as if Soda was gonna live to be 100. Now, there was a bigger possibility of that, but just because he knew the truth didn't mean he would go back to school.

**xXx**

It wasn't long before the gang found out about that night, and within a few days, the whole town knew. No matter how hard Soda tried to pretend he was okay, or pretend nothing happened, someone full of pity would walk in and ask him if he was okay. It finally got to the point where one night, Soda walked into our room, fell into bed and never got up again.

"How's he?" Two-Bit would ask every morning before school. I never really knew how to answer this question. Sure we share a bed and everything, but that doesn't mean I can read his mind and the last thing I'm gonna do is ask him. That is, after all, why he locks himself up in his room all the time.

So, in response to Two-Bit's question, I shrug and he accepts it.

Unlike when our parents died, the gang still comes over to help and support Soda. It's become a ritual actually, we all come and sit in the living room and watch whatever is on the TV until Darry comes home and makes me do my homework. That's when Dally heads out with Johnny and Two-Bit, and Steve heads home or prepares to sleep on the couch.

Then there was today which felt different in itself. A new tension built as I watched Steve march up the driveway, his face looking particularly upset (more so than usual). The door slammed as it did whenever anyone walked in, but instead of joining us in front of the TV, he made a beeline for my room. This couldn't be good.

Johnny and I shared a look, a mutual feeling of curiosity and concern. If Steve was in as bad of a mood as I expected him to be in, this could only mean trouble.

Moments later, something big and solid hit the ground followed by a, "What the hell, Steve!"

_"I could say the same thing, Sodapop! What are you doing here?"_

_"I dunno," sarcasm laced Soda's words heavily as he propped himself up on one elbow. The loud noise was Soda hitting the floor and apparently it was Steve's fault, as he held one side of the mattress in the air. "Why on Earth would I be in my house?"_

_"Wise-ass comments, I see where the kid gets them from." Soda scowled. "Look, man, I've covered your shift at the DX for a week and some days, I can't take it anymore. There's a reason I work in the garage, Soda. I ain't a social person."_

_Soda's voice lowered, Steve's words had been a shock to him. "You didn't have to cover for me, Steve..."_

_"Yeah, I did. You're my buddy and that's what we do for each other. But I can't go on like this. I know you're going through some shit," Soda looked down, fiddling with the blanket in his hands. "But you can't just sit around and feel bad for yourself."_

_Soda was silent, thinking about what all had been said to him._

_"I'll bring you your paycheck and tomorrow after school, you're comin' to work with me whether you like it or not. Those broads at the DX, I don't know how you handle them at all. Jesus Christ!" This got a chuckle out of him. It was a rare sound from him in the past few days but hearing it now was like a gentle sigh of relief. Soda was gonna be okay._

"What's so funny, Pony?" Two-Bit asked between his program. I guess Soda's laugh, although it probably hasn't happened yet, was probably enough to get me smiling moronically.

My ears burned suddenly. "Nothin'..." I mumbled.


End file.
